1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auxiliary tool for filling a bore which is formed, e.g., in a constructional component, with an organic and/or inorganic mortar mass.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In addition to force-and formlocking anchoring of fastening elements in bores, often, anchoring with a hardening organic and/or inorganic mortar mass is used. The anchoring of fastening elements with a hardening mass is used, e.g., when retaining of a predetermined distance between attachment points is of a critical importance and/or when the attachment points are located in regions of constructional components subjected to action of tensile forces. A further very important application of anchoring with a hardening organic or inorganic mortar mass is fitting of reinforced steel in concrete. This can become necessary, e.g., during a setting work, or for a subsequent reinforcement ofxe2x80x94floors and ceilings, or for a subsequent attachment of components to the already finished constructions. Also, at a subsequent attachment or formation of overlapped junctions of reinforced metal in reinforced concrete constructions, the reinforced metal is secured by anchoring with the use of a hardening mass. To this end, a bore, which is formed in a constructional component is filled with a single-or multicomponent mortar mass formed on organic and/or inorganic basis. Then, the reinforced metal is inserted into the bore and becomes secured therein after the mortar mass hardens.
For filling the bores with a single-or multicomponent mortar mass, often, manually or mechanically driven injection tools are used. The filling of a bore starts from its bottom. In order to uniformally fill the bore, the operator of the injection tool should uniformally pull the injection tool out of the bore as the bore is being filled with the mass. However, the control of the progress of the bore filling is hardly possible. Anyway, such control can be effected only during filling of bores having a very small depth when the filling of the bore can be observed visually or, when manually driven tools are used, by counting the number of strokes. However, in particular when the reinforcement metal is inserted in an already formed constructional component, the respective bores have a relatively large depth. For filling such bores, injection tools have an extension pipe or an extension hose are used in order to be able to fill the bore from the bottom up. If during the filling of the bore with a mortar mass, the injection tool is pulled out too rapidly, air bubbles can be formed in the bore, and the bore would not be uniformly filled with a mortar mass. If the injection tool is not pulled sufficiently rapidly, the extension pipe or the extension hose becomes surrounded by the mortar mass. Upon pulling the pipe or the hose up, again, air bubbles can be formed. This can adversely affect the holding value of the mortar mass and influence negatively the attachment of the reinforcing steel.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior out and to so improve the technology of filling of bores with organic and/or inorganic mortar mass that uniform filling of a bore is achieved, and formation of air bubbles is prevented.
This and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing an auxiliary tool for filling of an organic and/or inorganic mortar mass in a bore and cooperating with an injection tool connectable with a delivery tube (or a delivery hose), and including a filling member which can be pinned on the free end of the delivery tube or a hose. The filling member has an axial through-bore through which the mortar mass is injected into the bore, and an outer diameter selected so that a back flow of the mortar mass in a direction toward a bore mouth is prevented. The filling member, which is pinned on the extension tube or hose, prevents backflow of the injected mortar mass. Thereby, during filling of the bore, a dynamic pressure or an ascending force is generated. With a rigid injection tube, this dynamic pressure or the ascending force is transmitted to the injection tool or the tool operator, and the injection tool is forcefully pressed away from the bore mouth. With a flexible injection hose, the filling member of the auxiliary tool is pushed toward the mortar mass upper surface and forces the extension hose, dependent on the progress of filling of the bore, toward the bore mouth. The filling member of the auxiliary tool is always located on the upper surface of the mortar mass. If, e.g., the extension tube is provided with some kind of marking on its circumference, an amount of the mortar mass, already in the bore, can be determined. The provision of a filling member, which is pinned on an extension tube or hose, insures a controlled filling of the bore from the bore bottom upward. The provision of the auxiliary tool according to the present invention prevents an incomplete filling of the bore and formation of air bubble. This enables the auxiliary tool operator to feel how the filling proceeds. Generally, the inventive auxiliary tool with a filling member permits to conduct filling in a rapid and controlled manner.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the filling member has a cylindrical shape. The length of the cylinder is so selected that jamming of the filling member in a bore because of the non-uniformity of the bore is prevented. Preferably, the length of the filling member is so selected that it corresponds to from about 1.5 times to about 3 times of the bore diameter.
The outer diameter of the cylindrical filling member corresponds to the bore diameter. Because of allowable deviations of the bore shape, size and roughness, advantageously, the outer diameter of the cylindrical filling member is smaller than the bore diameter by from about 1 mm to about 3 mm.
For connecting the auxiliary tool with the extension tube or hose, the filling member can be provided, e.g., with an insert-in bore. Preferably, the insert-in bore has a conical shape to compensate for the tolerances of the outer diameter of the extension tube or hose.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the filling member is formed of several disc members having flexible rims which sealingly engage the bore wall. The outer diameter of the filling member measured at the flexible rims is larger than the bore diameter. This insures a complete sealing of the filling member with respect to the bore wall. The flexibility of the circumferential rims compensate the non-uniformity of the bore.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the filling member is connected with a cylindrically or conical connection journal insertable in a free end of the extension tube or hose. The connection journal has an axial bore that opens into the mouth of the filling member. The outer diameter of the connection journal is smaller than the outer diameter of the filling member. Advantageously, the connection journal has a conical outer contour that decreases toward its free end, whereby the tolerances of the extension tube or hose opening can be compensated.
For manufacturing reason and in order to facilitate handling of the auxiliary tool, advantageously, the filling member and the connection journal are formed as a one-piece part. In order to further facilitate the handling of the auxiliary tool, the filling member is formed of a plurability of concentrically arranged elements located one within another in a manner of onion skins and connected by connection webs separable at respective breakoff points. The breakoff point on the connection webs are provided in circumfential regions of a respective elements having a smaller outer diameter.
The foregoing measures prevent the connection web from projecting from the circumference of the filling member after removal of the outer filling section which otherwise could be interlocked with the bore formations. The formations of the filling member of several elements permits to provide an auxiliary tool that be used for filing of bores having different diameters. Thereby, the worker need not carry several auxiliary tools. Rather, after filling a first bore having a greater diameter, the worker can remove the outer element and use the same tool for another bore having a smaller diameter.
For manufacturing reasons and in order to keep the costs of the auxiliary tools down, at least the filling member is formed of a dimensionally stable plastic material. The connection journal can be formed of another material, e.g., metal. However, advantageously, the entire auxiliary tool is formed of the same material which favors mass production of the tool, e.g., by a simple injection molding.
The novel features of the present invention, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional advantageous and objects thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.